Attachment for stencilling articles of non-circular section



June 13, 1961 A. VELONIS 2,987,992

ATTACHMENT FOR STENCILLING ARTICLES OF NON-CIRCULAR SECTION Filed May15, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IIHIWH I LIHMI June 13, 1961 A. VELONIS2,987,992

ATTACHMENT FOR STENCILLING ARTICLES 0F NON-CIRCULAR SECTION Filed May15, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Unit Jersey Filed May 15, 1959, Ser. No.813,386 Claims. (Cl. 101-126) This invention relates generally to thefield of stencilling the surfaces of various small decorative articlesor containers, and more particularly to an improved means for supportingand moving such articles or containers in relation to a moving stencilscreen.

The technique of stencilling is relatively well knownin the art, anddevices for performing this operation normally are a silk or wire screencapable of holding a stencilling material, the screen being supportedfor movement in a horizontal plane. A fixed wiper blade is disposedopposite the surface being stencilled, and serves to Wipe thestencilling material upon the surface of the article as the article ismoved in a generally rotating manner to present a continuous surface tothe moving stencil screen. Cable or other means are employed to relatethe rotational movement of the object with the translational movement ofthe screen.

In the prior art, devices have been employed which comprise a holder fora bottle of elliptical section, which is then rotated as though it werea section of a cylinder. Such devices have suffered from the fact thatit is not possible to decorate more than one geometric plane of thebottle in one machine cycle.

It is therefore among the principal objects of the present invention toprovide an improved means for supporting an article to be decorated ofnon-circular cross section in such manner that the above mechanicalmethod may be employed in conjunction therewith.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of attachablestructure of the class described which may be incorporated into manyexisting screen stencilling devices without extensive modification.

A further object of the invention lies in the provision of an improvedarticle supporting construction which may be used for printing manyovoid or irregular section objects as Well as two or more sides of asquare, rectangular, hexagonal or polygonal object.

Still another object of the invention lies in the provision of a deviceas described above which will require no modification of existingprinting techniques.

A feature of the invention lies in the ready adaptability of thedisclosed embodiments to a wide variety of irregularly shaped sections.

These objects and features, as well as other incidental ends andadvantages, will more fully appear in the course of the followingdisclosure, and be pointed out in the appended claims.

On the drawings, to which reference will be made in the specification,similar reference characters have been employed to designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing a firstembodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical fragmentary sectional view as seen from the plane2-2 on FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary end elevation as seen from the lefthandportion of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view corresponding to thatseen on FIGURE 2 but showing an altered relative position of certain ofthe component arts.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary and elevational view cor- States Patent 9responding to that seen on FIGURE 3, and showing an altered relativeposition of certain of the component parts.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view in elevation showing a second embodimentof the invention.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary and elevational view, partly in section asseen from the plane 7-7 on FIG- URE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary rear elevation showing the side opposite thatshown on FIGURE 6.

In accordance with the invention, the first embodiment of the device,generally indicated by reference character 10 comprises broadly: motioncoupling means 11, cam plate means 12, cam follower means 13 and articleholding or chucking means 14.

The motion coupling means 11 includes a driven shaft 18 connected bymeans (not shown) so as to respond to planar movement of the stencillingscreen of a conventional stencilling device. During operation, the shaft18 will execute a substantially full revolution during the period inwhich the stencilling screen moves a distance sufficient to expose theentire printing area thereof to the action of the wiper blade. The shaft18 is mounted in a bearing 19 in turn secured to the cam plate means 12.

The cam plate means 12 is secured in relatively fixed position withrespect to the stencilling device in any suitable manner, as for exampleby bolting to the frame thereof, and comprises a relatively thickmetallic plate having first and second surfaces 24 and 25. Anirregularly shaped cam surface 26 extends between the surfaces 24 and25, and as best seen on FIGURES 2 and 4, the surface comprises a firstend or terminal 27, a first generally arcuately shaped portion 28, afirst curved portion 29, a second curved portion 30, a second arcuateportion 31 and a second terminal 32. The exact configuration of the camsurface 21 will depend in large measure on the configuration of thearticle, generally indicated by reference character 53 which is to bestencilled. The shape and configuration shown on FIGURES 2 and 4 issuitable for the ovoid shape of the article 54 illustrated. The camplate means 12 is also provided with a circular opening 33 in which thebearing 19 is disposed.

The cam follower means 13 includes a lateral driven member 36 having afirst end 37 secured to the shaft 18 and a second free end 38 having abearing (not shown) the axis of which lies parallel to the shaft 18.Supported for rotation within the bearing is a cam follower 40 having acam follower finger 41 slidably engaged within the cam surface 21. Thecam follower 40 is supported on a a rotatable shaft 42 which extendsoutwardly of the driven member 36 to support a rotatable member 43. Froma consideration of FIGURES 2 and 4, it will be observed that since theaxis of the cam follower finger 41 is laterally displaced with respectto the axis of the bearing in the second end 38, the cam follower 40 androtatable member 43 will rotate relative to the member 36 in apredetermined path of travel depending upon the configuration of the camsurface 26.

A chuck supporting member 44 is adjustably disposed upon the rotatablemember 43 within slots 46, and is secured in given position by screws45, this adjustment providing for the processing of containers of agiven configuration and varying size, as Will more fully appear.

The article supporting or chucking means 14 is supported by the chucksupporting member 44, and engages a member 48 thereon by means of a pin49 which permits ready removal of the chuck 50. The chuck 50 may be ofany suitable configuration or type depending upon the configuration ofthe article 53 to be decorated, and in the embodiment shown comprisesfirst and second arms 51 and 52 which engage the ovoid configuration atthe surfaces of relatively narrow radii, leaving first and Patented June13, 1961 V 3,. second surfaces 54 and. exposed. to be stencilled, as iswell-known in the art.

During operation of the first embodiment of the device, the shaft 18 isrotated in angular displacement corresponding to the lineardisplacementof the stencillingscreen, (not shown). The chuck 50 executesa combination of rotational and translational planar movement, therotational and translational components resulting in the presentation ofa continuous surface to the lower surface of the stencilling screen asis the case in articles of generally circular cross-section. The cycleof operation commences with the cam follower finger 41v in the firstterminal, 27 of the cam Surface 26 as shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawing,and completes the cycle as shown in,

FIGURE 4 wherein the finger 41 engages the end portion 32. Uponreturning the screen to its initial position, the component parts of thedevice 10. are returned to. the position. shown in FIGURE 2 for thecommencement of anew cycle, 7

Turning now to the second embodiment of the inven-. tion. as. shown inFIGURES 6 to 8, inclusive, the device, generally indicated by referencecharacter is shown in connection with a standard stencilling machinewhich may be of a type, for example, disclosed. in my co-pendingapplication, Serial No. 731,753, filed April 29, 1958 entitled ScreeningDevice. Machines of this type generally include a stencil screen supportmeans 62, a relatively fixed wiper blade 63, stencil screen moving means64, andcable means 65, including a driven pulley 66 for rotating thechucking means 7? in predetermined relation withrespect to movement of.the stencil screen.

Referring to FIGURE 6', the device includes a fixed bracket 68 which maybe a portion of the machine upon which there is mounted a first rockerarm 69. The rocker arm 69 is of generally elongated configurationincluding a first end 70 having cam follower means 71 and a second end72 which forms a pivotal support axis 73 for a second rocker arm 74. Thesecond rocker arm 74 includes a cam follower member 75 having a followerroller 76 thereon and a chuck: support member 77 having a clevis supportmember 78 thereon. The chuck 79 may be of a type similar to that shown,in the first embodiment, or may be of any desired design. In theembodiment disclosed, a bottle support member 80 is formed by a verticalbrace 81, the brace 81 being supported by a pair of horizontal supportmembers 82 and 83. A first cam 85 and a second cam 86 are mounted on acommon cam shaft 87 which is driven by a pulley 88. Asbest seen inFIGURE 7, the first cam 85 engages the cam follower roller 71, while thesecond cam 86 engages the cam follower roller 76. Cable means 92 issecured to the stencil screen support means 62 and is looped about thepulley 88 and an idler pulley 93.

From a consideration of FIGURE 6, it will be apparent that motionimparted to the first rocker arm 6 will result in a correspondingvertical movement of the axis of rotation of the chuck 79 and motionimparted to the second rocker arm 74 will result in substantiallyhorizontal planar movement. As best seen in FIGURES 6 and 8, the pulley66 is of a shape to correspond to the cross-section of the articlegenerally indicated by reference character 95' so that uniform linearspeed with regard to the surface of the article will be obtained as thescreen support means 62 moves in a horizontal plane. By changing theconfiguration of the cams 85 and 86, the necessary translational motioncomponents are imparted to the chuck 79 to obtain a result similar tothat in the first embodiment.

It may thus be seen that I have invented novel and highly usefulimprovements in screen stencilling structure for use in connection withthe stencilling of noncircular articles, which permit such stencillingin a substantially automatic manner resembling that employed in the caseof circular articles. With minor modifications (not shown). thestructure may be also. employed anemone.

inv the screening of articles which are not only of noncircularconfiguration, but which are also tapered. By resorting to either of thetwo embodiments disclosed, a large number of existing stencillingmachines may be adapted to provide this feature.

I wish it to be understood that I do not consider.- the inventionlimited to the precise details of structure shown and. set forth in thisspecification, for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled inthe art to which the invention relates.

I claim:

1. In a screen printing device having a stencil screen, an improvedchucking means for supporting an article to be decorated of non-circularcross-section comprising: a shaft arranged for rotational movement anddriven. by planar movement of said screen, a first driven member:laterally arranged with respect to said shaft, and having a free endexecuting arcuate motion, with respect to the axis. of said shaft, a cammember having a cam surface arranged in a plane substantiallyperpendicular to the. axis of said shaft, a cam. follower mounted uponthe free endof said first member and having an axis of rotation parallelto the axis of rotation of said shaft, said cam follower having meansengaging said cam surface lat,- erally displaced with. respect to saidlast mentioned axis of rotation, said cam follower having means thereonfor supporting said. article for simultaneous rotational andtranslational planar movement controlled by said cam surface.

2. Ina screen printing device having a stencil screen, improved chuckingmeans for supporting an article to be decorated of non-circularcross-section comprising: a first rocker arm having first and secondends, said first rocker arm being supported for pivotal movement about arelatively fixed axis, first cam means for imparting movement to one ofsaid ends, a second rocker arm having first and second ends and arrangedfor pivotal movement upon the other end of said first rocker arm, secondcam means for imparting movement to one of said ends of said secondrocker arm, and article engaging means supported for rotation upon theother end of said second rocker arm.

3'. In a screen printing device having a stencil screen, improvedchucking means for supporting an article to be decorated of non-circularcross-section comprising: a first rocker arm having first and secondends, said first rocker arm being supported for pivotal movement about arelatively fixed axis, first cam means for imparting movement to one ofsaid ends, a second rocker arm having first and second ends and arrangedfor pivotal movement upon the other end of said first rocker arm, secondcam means for imparting movement to, one of said ends of said secondrocker arm, an article engaging means supported for rotation upon theother end of said second rocker arm; said first and second cam meanshaving means for driving the same in synchronism.

4. In a screen printing device having a stencil screen, improvedchucking means'for supporting an article to be decorated of non-circularcross section comprising: a first rocker arm having first and secondends, said first rocker arm being supported for pivotal movement about arelatively fixed axis, first cam means for imparting movement to' one ofsaid ends, a second rocker arm having first and second ends and arrangedfor pivotal movement upon the other end of said first rocker arm, secondcam means for imparting movement to one of said ends of said secondrocker arm, an article engaging means supported for rotation upon theother end of said second rocker arm; said first and second cam meanshaving means for driving the same in synchronism; and means for rotatingsaid article supporting means, said means being controlled by movementof said stencil screen.

5. In a screen printing device having a stencil screen, improvedchucking means for supporting an article to be decorated of non-circularcross-section comprising: a first rocker arm having first and secondends, said first rocker arm being supported for pivotal movement about arelatively fixed axis, first cam means for imparting movement to one ofsaid ends, a second rocker arm having first and second ends and arrangedfor pivotal movement upon the other end of said first rocker arm, secondcam means for imparting movement to one of said ends of said secondrocker arm, an article engaging means supported for rotation upon theother end of said second rocker arm; said first and second cam meanshaving means for driving the same in synchronism; said first and secondcam means being mounted on a shaft, and means for driving said 6 shaftand said article support means in synchronism controlled by movement ofsaid stencil screen.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 71,010Hope Nov. 19, 1867 460,931 Goudie Oct. 6, 1891 2,093,206 Miller Sept.14, 1937 2,202,799 Jackson et al. May 28, 1940 2,307,404 Heyne Jan. 5,1943 2,492,052 Martin Dec. 20, 1949

